This invention relates to fasteners and trim assemblies for vehicles using such fasteners and, more particularly, to a vehicle trim fastener adapted for insertion by rotation to provide secure retention of the trim member without the need for mating clips.
It is well-known to attach decorative trim strips to vehicles and other supports by various types of fasteners. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,984,877, 3,116,526 and 3,304,681 all disclose fasteners for securing decorative trim to support panels and especially vehicles. Each of these prior fasteners, however, is adapted for initial attachment to a panel or vehicle followed by snapping on or attaching the trim strip to the prepositioned fastener. These fasteners do not allow positioning of the fastener and attachment of the strip all in one operation.
In another prior known trim assembly, a hollow, elongated trim strip with a generally C-shaped cross section has screw receiving clips inserted and crimped at various locations within the hollow trim. Thereafter, the trim is positioned on a preformed, flexible rubber or polymeric mount or molding and threaded screws are inserted through apertures in the back of the preformed molding into the prepositioned clips in the trim strip. Such prior assembly has several drawbacks, however. For example, the requirement of staking the fastener receiving clips into the trim piece often causes scraping or marring of the exterior trim surface requiring rejection of the part as unusable. In addition, the inclusion of the fastener clips in the trim occupies additional space when the strips are packed together for shipment to the manufacturing site thereby increasing shipping costs due to wasted space in shipping boxes. Moreover, assembly of the trim strips including the prepositioned clips on molding such as along the edges of windows on vehicles requires precise alignment of the trim strip with the preformed apertures in the molding followed by insertion of a separate screw through the molding into the clip. This is very time-consuming, often difficult, and results in additional cost for the assembly.
Accordingly, a need existed for a simplified fastening system and fastener which would allow insertion of a fastener and attachment of trim in one operation, avoid the prepositioning or staking of fastener clips in trim molding strips, avoid waste in shipping space when trim moldings are shipped, avoid the need to precisely locate the trim on preformed moldings followed by the insertion of a separate fastener in registry with the prepositioned clip, and eliminate the need for a separate clip thereby lessening assembly time, reducing costs and simplifying manufacturing installation of trim strips on vehicles.